Google has long been seen as a visionary company, one that has ushered in a host of innovations that have transformed the way people live and, in the process, turned the company itself into a celebrated and iconic brand. Its national expansion into broadband is a venture known as Google Fiber, but as the corporate giant seeks to enter the business of running high-speed Internet networks in cities around the country, Google’s visionary reputation masks potentially troubling practices that recall some of our nation’s darkest days around the issues of race and economic class.

Instead of providing Internet, or broadband, service to all residents in the communities it plans to serve, Google appears to be engaged in the abhorrent practice of redlining: depriving these services to certain neighborhoods based on income, ethnicity and race. Should this pattern hold true, the inevitable result will be the undermining of communities that are in most need of broadband access, thereby deepening the digital divide. Already too many Americans are without online access at a time when such access is no longer a luxury but a necessity in every household for everything from paying bills, searching for jobs, pursuing advanced educational degrees and accessing health records.

In Kansas City, as the deadline approached for neighborhoods to sign up for Google Fiber, higher-income, European-American neighborhoods were hooked-up first, while lower-income, primarily African-American neighborhoods were not. Compounding the problem was that prospective customers need a credit card to sign up for service, something that many residents in poor communities lacked.

In Nashville, African-American religious leaders have questioned Google’s commitment to their neighborhoods. Google Fiber has installed service in mainly a few downtown buildings and residencies. Pastor Frank Stevenson of St. Luke’s Primitive Baptist Church has led a group of more than 20 clergy to raise awareness about potential digital redlining. “In this land of fast-moving access, to not have access puts us at a disadvantage,” Stevenson lamented. “We want to make sure that Google will be responsible in how they provide services in this city.”

In Atlanta, Google Fiber is initially offering service in Old Fourth Ward, Virginia-Highland, and Morningside/Lenox Park. These are some of the more affluent and popular neighborhoods in the city. As for poorer neighborhoods, they will have to wait until Google gets to them – and who knows for sure when that will be. None of this should be altogether surprising for anyone who has followed Google, a bastion of wealthy European-American males, not unlike Silicon Valley itself.

News reports have tracked the dismal record that Google and other high-tech companies in Silicon Valley have in employing African-Americans, Hispanics and women. Many apologists for Google have argued that Google’s hiring record is a result of the difficulties the company says it has had identifying minorities who have the specialized education needed to compete in the high-tech industry. Even if true, it is beyond plausibility to suggest that Google does not have the resources to cultivate American-grown talent — whatever the ethnicity or income status — by augmenting STEM programs and local, county, and state education systems.

But Google’s troubling hiring practices have extended beyond its high-skilled workers and have been reflected in its hiring of non-tech employees as well. At a minimum, this suggests that Google’s leaders operate in an insular world of high-tech wizardry. They remain either largely blind to or willfully ignorant of the larger societal issues around them.

The emerging conflicts between Google and the communities within cites targeted for Google Fiber is somewhat ironic — if not hypocritical — given that the Google has long positioned itself as the champion of a principle it likes to tout: “Democracy on the web works.”

Indeed, for all the talk of ushering in a revolutionary era, Google Fiber’s rollout bears many of the trappings of the practices of banks, mortgage lenders, telephone companies, and other corporate actors that have redlined low-income and minority communities in the past. And let’s be candid: some still do. Devotion to higher profits at the expense of greater societal good should not be excused by the thin veneer of Google returning shareholders’ value. Redlining results in the wholesale disenfranchisement of communities and, ultimately, despite short-term profits, a weaker economic foundation for America’s future.

Maybe the algorithm of how redlining undermines American communities is too sophisticated for Google to grasp, but it should halt this discriminatory practice nonetheless. Google could certainly refuse. But, as a colleague said, before we ask Washington to step in to fix this, why don’t we demand this of Google ourselves?

Chicago is known to boast some awesome musical talent in front of the mic but many top level executives behind-the-scenes hail from the region as well. Nearly ten years ago, Tuo Clark took the leap into the world of production as one-halfof famed production duo Da Internz.

Creating countless hits later–he transitioned to VP of Def Jam Music almost two years ago.

Today, the announcement of his latest promotion, Senior Vice President, A&R, Def Jam Recordings, by Steve Bartels, CEO, Def Jam Recordings is a great indication of the label’s support of Clark’s contribution.

According to Def Jam Recordings, he will oversee selected current and new artist projects – including Big Sean, Jeremih, Lil Durk and Trap Beckham among others – while actively seeking out, discovering and signing new and established talent to Def Jam. Mr. Clark, who is based in Los Angeles, will report directly to Mr. Bartels.

“Tuo is an incredibly talented producer and a proven hitmaker,” said Steve Bartels. “His talent and energy extends itself beyond the studio; it’s felt throughout the artist and creative community and industry-wide. I’m excited to continue working closely with Tuo and our entire staff of gifted, young A&R executives to keep music & artists at the forefront of what we do.”

Of his appointment at Def Jam, Mr. Clark said, “I want to thank Steve Bartels for the continued opportunity to grow with this amazing team, doing what I love: making great, timeless music.”

The business of politics in Illinois is just as natural as discussing one of our beloved sports teams. The major players in the political arena receive just as much free media airtime with their latest proclamations, resolutions and weekly press conference announcements. As an elected official, if you can last past the latest soundbite, you are fairly holding your own ground.

Former Illinois Senate President Emil Jones Jr. has achieved above-average strides as one of the longest-running state legislators in the Senate. With 36 years of public service, the elder statesman retired in 2009 — at the start of his protégé, President Barack Obama’s first term in the White House.

On Monday, the University of Illinois at Chicago hosted an inaugural reception of one of the university’s highest honors — the dedication of political papers by Jones.

According the UIC, Jones said he decided to entrust his papers to UIC because of its role as the only public research university in the city.

As he hugs his son and takes the podium, Jones smiles and jokingly admits beating Quinn at basketball growing up. “He couldn’t beat me because he couldn’t jump.” But, never far from current affairs of the state, Jones doesn’t hold his tongue on the current state budget stalemate.

He addresses the small group of 60 or so former colleagues and friends.

“We need a governor who really cares about people. We wouldn’t have this problem with the budget if Gov. Quinn was in office. Sometimes the media doesn’t always tell the right story. The governor presents his budget to the legislature, the legislature accepts some of it or they don’t accept any of it. For the last two years, nothing in writing has ever been presented to the legislature about the budget,” he said.

“The governor presents the budget, not give a speech! No budget has been presented in writing to the legislature and that’s why you have a stalemate.”

The donation of Jones’ papers contains over 50 linear feet of documents, photographs and memorabilia focused on his career in the Illinois Legislature.

A great deal of the collection includes his time between 1980 to 2000, including his correspondence with then Illinois State Sen., Barack Obama. Obama has credited his growth and political identity through his guidance by Sen. Emil Jones Jr.

Jones’ political documents will join the papers of Mayor Richard J. Daley, who was involved in the building the UIC campus.

The Special Collections and University Archives house rare books, printed materials, manuscript collections and other important historical literature collected from other mayors, state and local public officials, judges, along with political organizations.

Never missing a beat and in familiar fashion that has made him one of the more respected and beloved Illinois public officials, the former State Senate president turns to Chancellor Amiridis and says, “You have my papers. I may give you some more but I have to screen them first,” he laughs.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) officials will start a monthlong celebration of the holiday season with a tree lighting ceremony in the Airport’s Domestic Terminal atrium on Tuesday, Nov. 29. ATL officials will be joined by diplomatic guests, holiday carolers, employees, volunteers and mascots of Atlanta-based teams and businesses to kick off one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.

Immediately following the tree lighting ceremony, ATL’s monthlong holiday celebration will begin. The Airport and its partners have joined to offer live holiday music throughout the Airport. Post-security gift-wrapping will be provided at all centerpoints in the concourses, and small travel comfort packets will be distributed by various stakeholders.

Holiday decorations are up throughout the Airport with a unique display in the Maynard H. Jackson International Terminal. Twelve trees have been decorated by representatives of Consular Corps offices in Atlanta. The trees display ornaments specific to each participating nation (Argentina, Bahamas, Canada, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Lithuania, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Turkey, and the United Kingdom) and create a global holiday theme in the International Terminal.

On Wednesday, Dec. 7, more than 500 Airport-area first graders will participate in ATL Presents: Toyland. The annual program, now in its 20th year, is designed to spread holiday cheer among metro Atlanta’s youth while educating them about the role the Airport plays in the transportation industry. Airport partners and concessionaires will provide food and gifts to the students during the event which, having grown in popularity, will take place this year at the Delta Flight Museum adjacent to ATL. Santa is also expected to make an appearance.

In August of 2015, Tris Sicignano; a New Orleans native, and Klarque Garrison were two Atlanta neighbors trying to figure things out. With years of experience in the entertainment industry the two teamed up to create a revolutionary new streaming network; Surge Television.

Tris, after beginning her career in television at the age of 16 working for the local PBS station in New Orleans and then taking a break from the industry in her mid twenties, yearned to return to the industry. That is when Tris teamed up with neighbor Klarque Garrison, who found success as an entrepreneur with his streaming radio network, Survival Radio Network (SRN). SRN boasts thirty-four radio programs and over a million listeners.

After a couple of months of chatting about their creative goals at the neighborhood coffee shop, there was an “a-ha!” moment when they realized that their goals aligned, and Surge Television was born. The two wasted no time getting started on their idea. Five months later, after brainstorming, intensive planning and lots of filming, the duo officially unveiled their concept. After signing up content creators from Los Angeles to London, England in the first couple of months, requests to join this new television co-op are still rolling in.

Surge Television is a content creator-owned television network, operating as a cooperative community. This is something new to the industry.

Surge Television intends to change the television game by fostering a community where content creators work together as a community to create, grow and collaborate as artists. Contributors to Surge TV join free of charge and receive a percentage of company profits during their participation time.

Currently boasting a roster of NINE original series as well as a few short films, the Surge community includes seasoned content creators with programs of multiple genres. From docu-series to drama and animation, Surge plans to offer a wide variety of programming.

Care to support this amazing idea? Visit their IndieGoGo campaign here!

City of Chicago Treasurer, Kurt Summers encourages everyone to support many small businesses around the city today.

Today is proclaimed Small Business Saturday targeting tens of millions of Americans across the Nation!

This holiday was created so our communities can show love for the small businesses that we hold dear and that strengthen our communities. It wouldn’t be a celebration without entrepreneurs and shoppers like you joining us!

Shop Small Chicago encourages shoppers who support local businesses by providing a $50 neighborhood gift card for every person who spends over $300 at local businesses.

How do I participate in the holiday shop local campaign so I can earn a $50 gift certificate?

Shop at a locally owned business in Chicago between November 26 – December 24, 2016.

Collect copies of receipts totaling $300* or more to your neighborhood champion offices.

Mail or scan a copy of your receipts totaling $300 and deliver to your local neighborhood champion. Find a list of neighborhood champions here. You must include your name, return address, phone number, email address and zip code. Receipts must be submitted by Friday, January 6, 2017. One submission per person

Receive a $50 reward in the form of a gift certificate** to a locally owned participating Chicago business.

*$300 spent at a minimum of 3 businesses; minimum of $25 per receipt; maximum of $100 in alcohol and groceries. No medications or memberships permitted. Tax and gratuity not included.

**Gift certificates available as long as supplies last and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to holiday shoppers that submit their copies of receipts while supplies last. For more details, visit: http://www.localfirstchicago.org/consumers

Also, please don’t forget to share your favorite Small Business Saturday moments on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with #ShopSmallChicago.

Dr. Willie Wilson: The Real Gift of Giving

Around this time of year, the holidays are upon us as we prepare for the tradition of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thousands of detainees in our jail system will not have the privilege of sharing the holidays with their families and friends.

For decades, the criminal justice system has gone under scrutiny for its unbalanced bail system. Non-violent crimes and misdemeanors are often set with bails that don’t match the crime or, worse, people detained months without the ability to pay. The lasting impact on poor people is catastrophic, contributing to rising numbers in jail while detainees await trial.

Dr. Willie Wilson, a Chicago-area businessman, has built several successful businesses over the last three decades. His deep ties in the Black community are often associated with his philanthropic efforts with many churches, often donating $800,000 to $1 million a year.

The executive producer of the long-running Gospel television program “Singsation,” he is a familiar face and voice with its loyal Sunday morning viewers. In 2014, he entered the Chicago mayoral race, running against incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The millionaire invested a little over $2 million of his own money, and although he didn’t win the primary, he received 10.66 percent of the vote.

Wilson is considered one of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s respected allies. In 2015, he threw his hat into the ring to run for U.S. president which didn’t receive much coverage .

Taking Matters Into His Own Hands

During his campaign runs, a major concern was criminal-justice reform and how the system is unbalanced toward African-Americans and Latinos. As he talked to more and more people dealing with similar problems from high bail bonds for misdemeanor crimes to detainees being held months, unable to make bail, sometimes leading to job and home loss, he felt he had to do something.

As a private citizen, he put his money where his mouth is. He delved into his pocket and began the process of identifying who some of the individuals were to assist and bail them out.

“When I was running for president and also when I ran for mayor, we were talking about prison reform. So I did commercial spots for prison reforms when I was around the country campaigning for the presidency. We’re always talking about it, but who’s doing anything about it? I look at my own self. I didn’t want to be like anybody else and just talk. I went in my pocket and started to do it.”

Since his initial decision to begin the process, Wilson reached out to the Cook County sheriff’s office and received a list of detainees who had small bonds.

“We went through that list and selected at random who gets out. We don’t know any of them — we check off the names. From there, if they show up for the court date, we get 90 percent of that money back. Once we get it back, we will reinvest it to get more detainees out,” he said.

Wilson hopes to help bail out 1,000-2,000 people in 2017.

He says this experience didn’t start here. The effects of having people close to you was a familiar occurrence within his family.

“We had two kids that went to Cook County Jail. Both of them went in there with an attitude, they came out with an attitude 10 times worse. One of them came out so bitter, later he was killed—my 20-year-old son,” he recounts.

“So jail changes you if you come out hard. Normally, these young men and ladies have no idea what they’re getting into when they get to jail. Some end up in there hard, some end up getting raped, some beat up, some can’t handle it and their mind is crippled. I don’t think that any human being could be subjected to that.

The Legislative Process

He is not alone in his fight to bring awareness to the forefront. Dr. Wilson has enlisted the support of over 100 churches, at least 10 non-profit organizations and several public officials — including Illinois State Representatives Elgie R. Sims Jr. (34th District) and LaShawn K. Ford (8th District).

Currently, the group is working on a bill to present to the state legislature to eliminate lengthy incarceration for non-violent and misdemeanor cases in jails across the state. He’s also enlisted the help of Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, who is helping to write the bill and has met with Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans on discussing next steps.

Dr. Wilson says, “Also, we met with the governor’s people. Three weeks ago, I met with Gov. Rauner — one on one. He is going to support the bill we’re putting together now, but it’s just talk for now.”

State Rep. Ford believes this move by Dr. Wilson could be a major game-changer in how private citizens could influence the narrative of criminal-justice reform.

“What Dr. Wilson has done has clearly upset the norm, and when you have business people that are pretty well off — he’s chosen the least of society and made a big difference. You are going to see reform in the bail system. That’s to be commended, because before he started bailing people out, I’ve had bills to change the bail system in Illinois for years. The thing about it is, when he went to put his money up, that really made a difference,” Ford said.

He says Wilson has put government to shame. “He was doing what government was supposed to do for people. Because of him, Illinois will have some reforms in our justice system for bail pretrial services.”

The Gift of Giving

Rev. Dr. Marshall Hatch Sr. is the pastor for New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, on the West Side, where it’s built a long-standing relationship within the African-American community.

“Dr. Wilson has been pushing the envelope. It shows how it would look if other people in the private sector took interest in these issues — pushing public officials. What Dr. Wilson is doing is showing how simple this issue is to resolve. There are people that are in there for a long period of time because they or their families can’t come up with a few hundred dollars to get them out.”

Over the past 50 years, Rev. Hatch’s family has gone into the jails with care packages that started under his father, the late Rev. Elijah Hatch, and now under his leadership, bringing ministry to the correctional centers.

“It’s not helping them or their families and the responsibilities they have. It’s not helping the criminal-justice system that is overcrowded. We need to keep those places for criminals who are posing a danger to public safety, not for folks just because they are poor,” Hatch said. “It’s an important part of public policy.”

Born in Louisiana, Dr. Wilson admits his upbringing was very humble and poor. He learned early in his childhood the importance of giving and sharing — making sure no one went hungry and homeless.

He reflects on a part of his life that has stayed with him.

“We never saw hungry days in my life, but when we sat down, all we had to eat was some bread and some molasses. Momma would have to borrow from our neighbor one day, and the next day they would borrow from us,” he said.

“It was customary down South. Sometimes, we didn’t have any food, so we would walk down the road and go to somebody’s house and sit down to eat. This always stayed with me. I’ve been giving all of my life.”

Dr. Wilson and his wife have helped release 111 detainees from Cook County Jail since last week. With his new outreach organization, the Dr. Willie Wilson Foundation, he is working with Rev. Hatch to invite the group and their families to New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church ”Community Thanksgiving Day” dinner.

“When Dr. Wilson came up with getting the folks out to do a Thanksgiving dinner for them and their families, I told him we’re already hosting one. We’ll just expand our capacity to serve, and that’s how that came about,” said Rev. Hatch.

The church has hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the past 10 years with volunteers helping to serve families, extending their ongoing clothing ministry and boutique for the day.

Hatch strongly believes the mission of the church should not only be within the walls of sanctuary, but to be a safe haven for those who are less fortunate. He’s seen the effects of the criminal-justice system run havoc on families in the Black and Brown communities.

“The church is to be the advocate of the poor. The criminal-justice system disproportionately disadvantages the poor. That becomes the part of the mission of the church. That’s the jail ministry. This is a very direct charge for the mission of the church. We can’t forget those that are incarcerated — even the guilty people.”

He says the jail is for holding people and the prison is for meeting out the appropriate sentence for the crime. “The jail means all of us are eligible to be a detainee any given day. You don’t have to break a law to be a detainee, you just have to be accused of a crime,” Hatch said.

“That means that Cook County Jail should be very humane and very sensitive to people who don’t pose a risk or a threat to the public.”

In addition, to inviting the detainees that Dr. Wilson helped release, he is giving each person $200 to assist them in their re-settlement. Thus far, $50,000 have gone to the bail release of former detainees.

Taking Closer Steps to Bail Reform

Dr. Wilson understands that helping to pay the bail cost for people will not necessarily cease the cause of why repeat violations happen. He and his team are working diligently to help those who are seeking assistance in providing shelter and later working with other organizations in the areas of addiction recovery and job training.

“We’re doing all we can do to set up an infrastructure if they don’t have a home to go to. We don’t know what a detainee does when they get out. We just know we do good and good can come out to help other people,” he said.

With the election season over and a new President-elect Trump being sworn in as our 45th U.S. president, the 100th Illinois State General Assembly will be preparing new legislation.

Rep. Ford has made it a priority to work on the bill to eliminate bail and encourages his colleagues to co-sponsor, but is hesitant on naming names — yet.

“The system will be updated after we’re sworn in for the 2017-18 General Assembly.” Ford says they can file something for the record but it will not likely move, although, he believes it can start the discussion. “If that happens, it can happen in the next week or two.”

Not being shy about his wealth, Dr. Wilson believes it’s a higher purpose for those to do something meaningful with their money.

“My mission is to create an example that our politicians and other people who have dollars would do some good in this area of humanitarianism,” he continued. “Sometimes they think minorities aren’t doing any good. No, there are a great deal of us doing good. I did it this time publicly so that people could see some good and try to inspire other people.”

Dr. Willie Wilson: The Real Gift of Giving

Around this time of year, the holidays are upon us as we prepare for the tradition of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thousands of detainees in our jail system will not have the privilege of sharing the holidays with their families and friends.

For decades, the criminal justice system has gone under scrutiny for its unbalanced bail system. Non-violent crimes and misdemeanors are often set with bails that don’t match the crime or, worse, people detained months without the ability to pay. The lasting impact on poor people is catastrophic, contributing to rising numbers in jail while detainees await trial.

Dr. Willie Wilson, a Chicago-area businessman, has built several successful businesses over the last three decades. His deep ties in the Black community are often associated with his philanthropic efforts with many churches, often donating $800,000 to $1 million a year.

The executive producer of the long-running Gospel television program “Singsation,” he is a familiar face and voice with its loyal Sunday morning viewers. In 2014, he entered the Chicago mayoral race, running against incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The millionaire invested a little over $2 million of his own money, and although he didn’t win the primary, he received 10.66 percent of the vote.

Wilson is considered one of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s respected allies. In 2015, he threw his hat into the ring to run for U.S. president which didn’t receive much coverage .

Taking Matters Into His Own Hands

During his campaign runs, a major concern was criminal-justice reform and how the system is unbalanced toward African-Americans and Latinos. As he talked to more and more people dealing with similar problems from high bail bonds for misdemeanor crimes to detainees being held months, unable to make bail, sometimes leading to job and home loss, he felt he had to do something.

As a private citizen, he put his money where his mouth is. He delved into his pocket and began the process of identifying who some of the individuals were to assist and bail them out.

“When I was running for president and also when I ran for mayor, we were talking about prison reform. So I did commercial spots for prison reforms when I was around the country campaigning for the presidency. We’re always talking about it, but who’s doing anything about it? I look at my own self. I didn’t want to be like anybody else and just talk. I went in my pocket and started to do it.”

Since his initial decision to begin the process, Wilson reached out to the Cook County sheriff’s office and received a list of detainees who had small bonds.

“We went through that list and selected at random who gets out. We don’t know any of them — we check off the names. From there, if they show up for the court date, we get 90 percent of that money back. Once we get it back, we will reinvest it to get more detainees out,” he said.

Wilson hopes to help bail out 1,000-2,000 people in 2017.

He says this experience didn’t start here. The effects of having people close to you was a familiar occurrence within his family.

“We had two kids that went to Cook County Jail. Both of them went in there with an attitude, they came out with an attitude 10 times worse. One of them came out so bitter, later he was killed—my 20-year-old son,” he recounts.

“So jail changes you if you come out hard. Normally, these young men and ladies have no idea what they’re getting into when they get to jail. Some end up in there hard, some end up getting raped, some beat up, some can’t handle it and their mind is crippled. I don’t think that any human being could be subjected to that.

The Legislative Process

He is not alone in his fight to bring awareness to the forefront. Dr. Wilson has enlisted the support of over 100 churches, at least 10 non-profit organizations and several public officials — including Illinois State Representatives Elgie R. Sims Jr. (34th District) and LaShawn K. Ford (8th District).

Currently, the group is working on a bill to present to the state legislature to eliminate lengthy incarceration for non-violent and misdemeanor cases in jails across the state. He’s also enlisted the help of Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, who is helping to write the bill and has met with Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans on discussing next steps.

Dr. Wilson says, “Also, we met with the governor’s people. Three weeks ago, I met with Gov. Rauner — one on one. He is going to support the bill we’re putting together now, but it’s just talk for now.”

State Rep. Ford believes this move by Dr. Wilson could be a major game-changer in how private citizens could influence the narrative of criminal-justice reform.

“What Dr. Wilson has done has clearly upset the norm, and when you have business people that are pretty well off — he’s chosen the least of society and made a big difference. You are going to see reform in the bail system. That’s to be commended, because before he started bailing people out, I’ve had bills to change the bail system in Illinois for years. The thing about it is, when he went to put his money up, that really made a difference,” Ford said.

He says Wilson has put government to shame. “He was doing what government was supposed to do for people. Because of him, Illinois will have some reforms in our justice system for bail pretrial services.”

The Gift of Giving

Rev. Dr. Marshall Hatch Sr. is the pastor for New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, on the West Side, where it’s built a long-standing relationship within the African-American community.

“Dr. Wilson has been pushing the envelope. It shows how it would look if other people in the private sector took interest in these issues — pushing public officials. What Dr. Wilson is doing is showing how simple this issue is to resolve. There are people that are in there for a long period of time because they or their families can’t come up with a few hundred dollars to get them out.”

Over the past 50 years, Rev. Hatch’s family has gone into the jails with care packages that started under his father, the late Rev. Elijah Hatch, and now under his leadership, bringing ministry to the correctional centers.

“It’s not helping them or their families and the responsibilities they have. It’s not helping the criminal-justice system that is overcrowded. We need to keep those places for criminals who are posing a danger to public safety, not for folks just because they are poor,” Hatch said. “It’s an important part of public policy.”

Born in Louisiana, Dr. Wilson admits his upbringing was very humble and poor. He learned early in his childhood the importance of giving and sharing — making sure no one went hungry and homeless.

He reflects on a part of his life that has stayed with him.

“We never saw hungry days in my life, but when we sat down, all we had to eat was some bread and some molasses. Momma would have to borrow from our neighbor one day, and the next day they would borrow from us,” he said.

“It was customary down South. Sometimes, we didn’t have any food, so we would walk down the road and go to somebody’s house and sit down to eat. This always stayed with me. I’ve been giving all of my life.”

Dr. Wilson and his wife have helped release 111 detainees from Cook County Jail since last week. With his new outreach organization, the Dr. Willie Wilson Foundation, he is working with Rev. Hatch to invite the group and their families to New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church ”Community Thanksgiving Day” dinner.

“When Dr. Wilson came up with getting the folks out to do a Thanksgiving dinner for them and their families, I told him we’re already hosting one. We’ll just expand our capacity to serve, and that’s how that came about,” said Rev. Hatch.

The church has hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the past 10 years with volunteers helping to serve families, extending their ongoing clothing ministry and boutique for the day.

Hatch strongly believes the mission of the church should not only be within the walls of sanctuary, but to be a safe haven for those who are less fortunate. He’s seen the effects of the criminal-justice system run havoc on families in the Black and Brown communities.

“The church is to be the advocate of the poor. The criminal-justice system disproportionately disadvantages the poor. That becomes the part of the mission of the church. That’s the jail ministry. This is a very direct charge for the mission of the church. We can’t forget those that are incarcerated — even the guilty people.”

He says the jail is for holding people and the prison is for meeting out the appropriate sentence for the crime. “The jail means all of us are eligible to be a detainee any given day. You don’t have to break a law to be a detainee, you just have to be accused of a crime,” Hatch said.

“That means that Cook County Jail should be very humane and very sensitive to people who don’t pose a risk or a threat to the public.”

In addition, to inviting the detainees that Dr. Wilson helped release, he is giving each person $200 to assist them in their re-settlement. Thus far, $50,000 have gone to the bail release of former detainees.

Taking Closer Steps to Bail Reform

Dr. Wilson understands that helping to pay the bail cost for people will not necessarily cease the cause of why repeat violations happen. He and his team are working diligently to help those who are seeking assistance in providing shelter and later working with other organizations in the areas of addiction recovery and job training.

“We’re doing all we can do to set up an infrastructure if they don’t have a home to go to. We don’t know what a detainee does when they get out. We just know we do good and good can come out to help other people,” he said.

With the election season over and a new President-elect Trump being sworn in as our 45th U.S. president, the 100th Illinois State General Assembly will be preparing new legislation.

Rep. Ford has made it a priority to work on the bill to eliminate bail and encourages his colleagues to co-sponsor, but is hesitant on naming names — yet.

“The system will be updated after we’re sworn in for the 2017-18 General Assembly.” Ford says they can file something for the record but it will not likely move, although, he believes it can start the discussion. “If that happens, it can happen in the next week or two.”

Not being shy about his wealth, Dr. Wilson believes it’s a higher purpose for those to do something meaningful with their money.

“My mission is to create an example that our politicians and other people who have dollars would do some good in this area of humanitarianism,” he continued. “Sometimes they think minorities aren’t doing any good. No, there are a great deal of us doing good. I did it this time publicly so that people could see some good and try to inspire other people.”

Dr. Willie Wilson: The Real Gift of Giving

Around this time of year, the holidays are upon us as we prepare for the tradition of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thousands of detainees in our jail system will not have the privilege of sharing the holidays with their families and friends.

For decades, the criminal justice system has gone under scrutiny for its unbalanced bail system. Non-violent crimes and misdemeanors are often set with bails that don’t match the crime or, worse, people detained months without the ability to pay. The lasting impact on poor people is catastrophic, contributing to rising numbers in jail while detainees await trial.

Dr. Willie Wilson, a Chicago-area businessman, has built several successful businesses over the last three decades. His deep ties in the Black community are often associated with his philanthropic efforts with many churches, often donating $800,000 to $1 million a year.

The executive producer of the long-running Gospel television program “Singsation,” he is a familiar face and voice with its loyal Sunday morning viewers. In 2014, he entered the Chicago mayoral race, running against incumbent Mayor Rahm Emanuel. The millionaire invested a little over $2 million of his own money, and although he didn’t win the primary, he received 10.66 percent of the vote.

Wilson is considered one of Gov. Bruce Rauner’s respected allies. In 2015, he threw his hat into the ring to run for U.S. president which didn’t receive much coverage .

Taking Matters Into His Own Hands

During his campaign runs, a major concern was criminal-justice reform and how the system is unbalanced toward African-Americans and Latinos. As he talked to more and more people dealing with similar problems from high bail bonds for misdemeanor crimes to detainees being held months, unable to make bail, sometimes leading to job and home loss, he felt he had to do something.

As a private citizen, he put his money where his mouth is. He delved into his pocket and began the process of identifying who some of the individuals were to assist and bail them out.

“When I was running for president and also when I ran for mayor, we were talking about prison reform. So I did commercial spots for prison reforms when I was around the country campaigning for the presidency. We’re always talking about it, but who’s doing anything about it? I look at my own self. I didn’t want to be like anybody else and just talk. I went in my pocket and started to do it.”

Since his initial decision to begin the process, Wilson reached out to the Cook County sheriff’s office and received a list of detainees who had small bonds.

“We went through that list and selected at random who gets out. We don’t know any of them — we check off the names. From there, if they show up for the court date, we get 90 percent of that money back. Once we get it back, we will reinvest it to get more detainees out,” he said.

Wilson hopes to help bail out 1,000-2,000 people in 2017.

He says this experience didn’t start here. The effects of having people close to you was a familiar occurrence within his family.

“We had two kids that went to Cook County Jail. Both of them went in there with an attitude, they came out with an attitude 10 times worse. One of them came out so bitter, later he was killed—my 20-year-old son,” he recounts.

“So jail changes you if you come out hard. Normally, these young men and ladies have no idea what they’re getting into when they get to jail. Some end up in there hard, some end up getting raped, some beat up, some can’t handle it and their mind is crippled. I don’t think that any human being could be subjected to that.

The Legislative Process

He is not alone in his fight to bring awareness to the forefront. Dr. Wilson has enlisted the support of over 100 churches, at least 10 non-profit organizations and several public officials — including Illinois State Representatives Elgie R. Sims Jr. (34th District) and LaShawn K. Ford (8th District).

Currently, the group is working on a bill to present to the state legislature to eliminate lengthy incarceration for non-violent and misdemeanor cases in jails across the state. He’s also enlisted the help of Cook County Commissioner Richard Boykin, who is helping to write the bill and has met with Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans on discussing next steps.

Dr. Wilson says, “Also, we met with the governor’s people. Three weeks ago, I met with Gov. Rauner — one on one. He is going to support the bill we’re putting together now, but it’s just talk for now.”

State Rep. Ford believes this move by Dr. Wilson could be a major game-changer in how private citizens could influence the narrative of criminal-justice reform.

“What Dr. Wilson has done has clearly upset the norm, and when you have business people that are pretty well off — he’s chosen the least of society and made a big difference. You are going to see reform in the bail system. That’s to be commended, because before he started bailing people out, I’ve had bills to change the bail system in Illinois for years. The thing about it is, when he went to put his money up, that really made a difference,” Ford said.

He says Wilson has put government to shame. “He was doing what government was supposed to do for people. Because of him, Illinois will have some reforms in our justice system for bail pretrial services.”

The Gift of Giving

Rev. Dr. Marshall Hatch Sr. is the pastor for New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, on the West Side, where it’s built a long-standing relationship within the African-American community.

“Dr. Wilson has been pushing the envelope. It shows how it would look if other people in the private sector took interest in these issues — pushing public officials. What Dr. Wilson is doing is showing how simple this issue is to resolve. There are people that are in there for a long period of time because they or their families can’t come up with a few hundred dollars to get them out.”

Over the past 50 years, Rev. Hatch’s family has gone into the jails with care packages that started under his father, the late Rev. Elijah Hatch, and now under his leadership, bringing ministry to the correctional centers.

“It’s not helping them or their families and the responsibilities they have. It’s not helping the criminal-justice system that is overcrowded. We need to keep those places for criminals who are posing a danger to public safety, not for folks just because they are poor,” Hatch said. “It’s an important part of public policy.”

Born in Louisiana, Dr. Wilson admits his upbringing was very humble and poor. He learned early in his childhood the importance of giving and sharing — making sure no one went hungry and homeless.

He reflects on a part of his life that has stayed with him.

“We never saw hungry days in my life, but when we sat down, all we had to eat was some bread and some molasses. Momma would have to borrow from our neighbor one day, and the next day they would borrow from us,” he said.

“It was customary down South. Sometimes, we didn’t have any food, so we would walk down the road and go to somebody’s house and sit down to eat. This always stayed with me. I’ve been giving all of my life.”

Dr. Wilson and his wife have helped release 111 detainees from Cook County Jail since last week. With his new outreach organization, the Dr. Willie Wilson Foundation, he is working with Rev. Hatch to invite the group and their families to New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church ”Community Thanksgiving Day” dinner.

“When Dr. Wilson came up with getting the folks out to do a Thanksgiving dinner for them and their families, I told him we’re already hosting one. We’ll just expand our capacity to serve, and that’s how that came about,” said Rev. Hatch.

The church has hosted Thanksgiving dinner for the past 10 years with volunteers helping to serve families, extending their ongoing clothing ministry and boutique for the day.

Hatch strongly believes the mission of the church should not only be within the walls of sanctuary, but to be a safe haven for those who are less fortunate. He’s seen the effects of the criminal-justice system run havoc on families in the Black and Brown communities.

“The church is to be the advocate of the poor. The criminal-justice system disproportionately disadvantages the poor. That becomes the part of the mission of the church. That’s the jail ministry. This is a very direct charge for the mission of the church. We can’t forget those that are incarcerated — even the guilty people.”

He says the jail is for holding people and the prison is for meeting out the appropriate sentence for the crime. “The jail means all of us are eligible to be a detainee any given day. You don’t have to break a law to be a detainee, you just have to be accused of a crime,” Hatch said.

“That means that Cook County Jail should be very humane and very sensitive to people who don’t pose a risk or a threat to the public.”

In addition, to inviting the detainees that Dr. Wilson helped release, he is giving each person $200 to assist them in their re-settlement. Thus far, $50,000 have gone to the bail release of former detainees.

Taking Closer Steps to Bail Reform

Dr. Wilson understands that helping to pay the bail cost for people will not necessarily cease the cause of why repeat violations happen. He and his team are working diligently to help those who are seeking assistance in providing shelter and later working with other organizations in the areas of addiction recovery and job training.

“We’re doing all we can do to set up an infrastructure if they don’t have a home to go to. We don’t know what a detainee does when they get out. We just know we do good and good can come out to help other people,” he said.

With the election season over and a new President-elect Trump being sworn in as our 45th U.S. president, the 100th Illinois State General Assembly will be preparing new legislation.

Rep. Ford has made it a priority to work on the bill to eliminate bail and encourages his colleagues to co-sponsor, but is hesitant on naming names — yet.

“The system will be updated after we’re sworn in for the 2017-18 General Assembly.” Ford says they can file something for the record but it will not likely move, although, he believes it can start the discussion. “If that happens, it can happen in the next week or two.”

Not being shy about his wealth, Dr. Wilson believes it’s a higher purpose for those to do something meaningful with their money.

“My mission is to create an example that our politicians and other people who have dollars would do some good in this area of humanitarianism,” he continued. “Sometimes they think minorities aren’t doing any good. No, there are a great deal of us doing good. I did it this time publicly so that people could see some good and try to inspire other people.”

Brown Farmer Media Group Oversee CPD Diversity Recruitment Campaign

On Tuesday, Mayor Rahm Emanuel officially announced that the city would now be accepting applications for the April 2017 Police Entry Exam, in addition to launching a recruitment campaign that will target more people of color.

The Chicago Police Department has come under fire for its lack of diversity within the police force, creating friction between officers and African-American communities.

To facilitate the new 2017 recruitment and marketing campaign, Be the Change, the city has selected Brown Farmer Media Group, a minority- and woman-owned business to lead the charge. The campaign will connect the city with grassroots partners, including local businesses, colleges, universities, police associations and faith-based organizations to host community events.

In addition to various neighborhood programming, Brown Farmer Media Group will oversee a partnership with WVON 1690 to host workshops at the station’s Legacy Center and during on-air programming to promote CPD’s efforts.

“We look forward to working closely with key grassroots leaders and organizations to reach diverse communities and help spread the word quickly,” said Deborah Olivia Farmer, president and CEO of the Brown Farmer Media Group. “We will partner with many of Chicago’s churches, for example, who have built-in connections to schools, social, civic and fraternal organizations, social service agencies, community organizations, housing developments, block clubs, park districts and local community leaders.”

Joining her team is Dr. Carol Adams of Urban Prescriptive and Toussaint Werner of Calumet Creative to help initiate objectives and transparency throughout this process.

The minimum age to apply to take the exam is 18. At the time of hire, candidates must be a resident of the city of Chicago, have a valid State of Illinois driver’s license, have 60 semester hours of college credit or 36 months of continuous active duty, or one-year continuous active service with 30 semester hours.

The exam fee of $30 will be eliminated with more flexible options for taking the required physical fitness test.

To help bridge the economic divide that exists in many urban cities, the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation at Georgetown University in conjunction with the Center for Civic Innovation, the Atlanta Committee for Progress convened a panel of local experts in Atlanta at the Center for Civic Innovation for a discussion on how to build an inclusive economy that leverages Atlanta’s creative and tech sectors and promotes equity as a tool for growth.

“Inclusive growth is one of the defining issues of our time,” said Craig Vosburg, president, North America, Mastercard. “We are meeting with leading voices in a number of cities to help us better understand how we can work together to expand opportunities for all. We see an important role for Mastercard and our partners to help connect everyone to the networks that power the modern economy.”

Over the course of the afternoon, attendees heard the first-hand experiences of leaders across the city who are creating and supporting viable solutions to build economic opportunity. The conversation ranged from how to connect artists with corporations to how to foster more civic engagement between public and private sector organizations to promote sustainable growth in Atlanta’s digital economy.

Rohit Malhotra, the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Civic Innovation, kicked off the event noting how fitting it was to have the conversation of inclusive growth and equity in Atlanta – a city that was at the heart of the Civil Rights movement.

A consistent theme among panelists across the course of the event was the need for broader inclusion in growing the economy. As Duriya Farooqui, Executive Director of the Atlanta Committee for Progress noted, “leaders need to take the initiative to start conversations on inclusion.”

“The first step to inclusive growth is a greater understanding of the current economic issues. You need a cultural thermometer to understand what is happening in the world, and build on that,” added Amanda Sabreah, CEO of Partnr.

Sonal Shah, Executive Director of the Beeck Center at Georgetown University, highlighted the role of data in building a more inclusive economy, and stated how, “the concept of the digital economy is big, but it needs to be humanized and understood at a local level.”

The event in Atlanta was part of the Center’s ‘On the Frontlines of Inclusive Growth’ tour. Bringing together local businesses, think tanks, policymakers, thought leaders and other influencers in cities across the United States, the Center is examining how to democratize productivity, foster an environment of inclusive growth and better residents’ lives.

At the conclusion, the Center will publish its findings and develop programming and activities to promote inclusive growth in the U.S. during 2017 and beyond.

This effort is just the latest step in the ongoing support of local communities by Mastercard. From the Master Your Card program to engagement with the National Urban League and other organizations, Mastercard has a long-standing commitment to work with community leaders to understand the challenges they face and develop solutions that drive empowerment and inclusion.

The mission of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth is to advance equitable and sustainable economic growth and financial inclusion around the world. As an independent subsidiary of Mastercard, we combine data, expertise, technology and philanthropic investments to empower a community of thinkers, leaders and innovators working on the front lines of inclusive growth.

For more information on the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, click here.

]]>http://atlantadailyworld.com/2016/11/22/inclusion-vital-for-building-economies-local-experts-conclude/feed/0inclusionredward298inclusionMore consumers plan to Shop Small on Small Business Saturdayhttp://atlantadailyworld.com/2016/11/21/more-consumers-plan-to-shop-small-on-small-business-saturday/
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Across the country, small businesses and consumers alike are getting excited to support their favorite local, independent businesses on Small Business Saturday, which takes place this year on Nov. 26. Results from the fifth-annual Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, released by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) and American Express, show that more consumers than ever are aware of Small Business Saturday (58 percent vs. the previous high of 55 percent in 2015).

More than six in ten (62 percent) consumers who are aware of Small Business Saturday and who plan to shop locally on the day say the main reason they plan to shop at small retailers or eat at independently-owned restaurants is because they value the contributions small businesses make to their community.

“Since its inception, Small Business Saturday has brought national attention to supporting the local businesses we love,” said Elizabeth Rutledge, Executive Vice President, Global Advertising & Brand Management at American Express, which founded Small Business Saturday in 2010. “Small Business Saturday reminds consumers of how valuable small businesses are to our communities, and we are incredibly proud to be the founding partner.”

Held annually on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express as a response to small business owners’ most pressing need: getting more customers through their doors, rallying communities to support local businesses and helping kick off a successful holiday sales period.

Planning to Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is

Of consumers who are aware of Small Business Saturday, 89% agree that the day encourages them to Shop Small all year long, not just during the holiday season. Nearly eight in ten (79%) consumers say they are willing to pay slightly more for an item if it is purchased from a small, independently-owned retailer as opposed to online or at a large retailer – on par with last year. And just how much are they planning to spend? Of those who are aware of Small Business Saturday and planning to shop and dine on the day, two-thirds (67%) say that they plan to spend at least $100 at small businesses on Small Business Saturday – a slight increase from 2015 (65 percent).

Among U.S. consumers, the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey found:

On average, one-third (33%) of their holiday shopping this year is expected to be done at small retailers or restaurants – on par with last year.

76% say they will visit at least one small business as part of their overall holiday shopping, on par with last year.

Additionally, 91% reported that supporting small, independently-owned bars and restaurants is important to them.

“Small businesses across the nation are often run by the friends, family and neighbors that we know so well, so supporting them is not only personal but critical to their success,” said NFIB CEO and President Juanita Duggan. “Partnering with American Express to promote the awareness and importance of shopping small is something we are very proud of, and this year, we look forward to another successful Small Business Saturday.”

Additional findings from the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey include:

63% of consumers who are willing to pay slightly more for an item if purchased from a small, independently-owned retailer as opposed to online or at a large retailer say that in exchange for paying a higher price, they expect better customer service from small, independently-owned businesses.

Nearly half (48%) of consumers who are aware of Small Business Saturday and who plan to Shop Small on the day say they expect to spend more on Small Business Saturday this year than last year – up from 45% in 2015, and the highest amount yet recorded.

Consumers who are aware of Small Business Saturday and who plan to shop on the day say they plan to support many different types of small businesses on the day, including clothing/accessories/shoe stores (45%), restaurants/bars/pubs (41%) and bakeries (39%).

Neighborhood Champions and the Small Business Saturday Coalition Drive Excitement for the Day

Grassroots support for Small Business Saturday is largely driven by Neighborhood Champions, a program of advocates for Small Business Saturday comprised of small businesses, business associations, local Chambers of Commerce and other community organizers who help to rally their neighborhoods on the day. To date, more than 6,400 Neighborhood Champions – an increase of 56% percent from 2015 – have signed up to plan activities and events to draw consumers to commercial districts across the U.S., leading up to and on Small Business Saturday. In fact, 45% of consumers who are aware of Small Business Saturday and who plan to shop say they plan to attend a community event in celebration of the day.

Another important group that drives participation on the day is the Small Business Saturday Coalition. Led by Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), the Small Business Saturday Coalition was created in 2011 to help amplify the Shop Small message. The Coalition is comprised of national, state and local associations that help coordinate Small Business Saturday activities with merchants, consumers and small business owners.

Show Your Love for Small Businesses on Social Media

Each year consumers have made it a tradition to share their Small Business Saturday experiences on social media. This year, consumers and small businesses across the nation are encouraged to show their love for their favorite independent businesses by using the #ShopSmall, #SmallBizSat and #DineSmall hashtags on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

American Express® Card Members Receive Offer to Shop Small

New this year, American Express is giving Card Members the opportunity to earn 2X rewards when they enroll an eligible American Express Card at http://www.amex.co/shopsmalloffer and shop at qualifying small merchants both in-store and online now through Dec. 31.(1) With the addition of 1.6 million merchant locations that have started accepting American Express Cards over the past two years, Card Members now have even more places than ever to Shop Small(2). When Card Members use an eligible Card to shop at qualifying small merchants they could earn 2X rewards in the form of what they already earn with their Card– from Membership Rewards® points to miles with Delta® to Cash Back and more.

This offer is the latest way American Express is supporting the expanding network of small merchants who accept American Express Cards by giving Card Members yet another reason to Shop Small throughout the holiday season.

Corporate Supporters Help Build Buzz for Small Business Saturday

To help further spread the Shop Small message, American Express has enlisted the support of many companies that are serving as Corporate Supporters. Together these companies reach millions of small businesses and consumers and are key players in the retail, telecom, media, hospitality, transportation, and professional services industries. Some of the companies that will be participating include FedEx, Uber, AT&T, Valpak and Ace Hardware.

To speak with NFIB State Director Nathan Humphrey about Small Business Saturday in Georgia, please contact Todd Pack at todd.pack@NFIB.org or 615-872-5897.

Three Buildings in upper New York no longer owned by Trump lose the Trump name after residents complain.

Upper New York Buildings Remove Trump Name

Trump has made lots of money leasing his name due to its brand power, so there are buildings that bear his name which he does not own. He also made a good deal of his money in real estate developer before his name brand blew up as a result of his reality TV show and many hotels, residential buildings and officer towers bear his name. Many people prior to Trump’s run for president liked being associated with a residence associated with the Trump brand and most would think that more would be elated that they lived in a building that bore the name of the president of the United States but one group of tenants fought to change that, and on Tuesday, they won.

Residents of a three apartment complexes on New York’s Upper West Side named “Trump Place” filed a petition in October to have the name removed from their buildings, saying they were embarrassed to be associated with Trump, according to the Washington Post .

On Tuesday, the company thatowns the buildings acquiesced and told the residents that the buildings will be renamed after their addresses — 140, 160 and 180 Riverside Blvd. — and Trump’s name would be removed from the buildings.

Equity Residential senior regional manager Mary Pawlisa, is on record saying, “The purpose of this change is to assume a neutral building identity that appeals to current and future tenants. Using the street address for the building name is popular practice in NYC, and our well-known Riverside address makes it easy for visitors to locate the building.”

Over 600 people signed the online petition to “Dump the Trump name” and take down the “Trump Place” lettering, saying they were appalled by Trump’s “treatment of women, his history of racism, his attacks on immigrants, his mockery of the disabled” and other issues.

Linda Gottlieb, one of the petition’sorganizers, expressed, “We’re very pleased, people felt really good that they could do something. It was an empowering way to protest. It wasn’t a random protest, it was a very specific protest.”

Trump has not owned the property for more than a decade yet they continued to bear his name. A spokesperson for the Trump Organization said the decision to change the name was mutual.

Anne Pramaggiore: ComEd’s CEO Amplifies Diversity and Change

By: Mary L. Datcher–Senior Staff Writer

Anne Pramaggiore is a name that is often dropped in the same sentence when discussing some of the top corporate executives in the energy and utilities field. Since 2012, Pramaggiore is the first female CEO of ComEd — the largest electric utility company in the region. ComEd, under the parent company, Exelon Corp., is a leader in the electric and utilities industry.

Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, she attended Miami University, graduating with a major in Communications and Theater. Her fascination with politics began when practically every American was tuned into the Watergate scandal —leading to President Nixon’s resignation.

She says, “There was all of these books created and I was always fascinated by all of this. Getting an entrée into the political landscape and seeing our country in crisis. Living through that was really interesting to me, so I was very interested in government, leaders and change.”

After working six years as a buyer for a major department retailer, she and her soon-to-be husband, Michael Harrington relocated to Chicago, where she attended DePaul University, eventually receiving her law degree.

Upon joining ComEd in 1998, as a young attorney, she had 10 years’ experience at McDermott Will & Emery practicing in anti-trust law.

The climb up the company’s corporate ladder for Pramaggiore was at the ground level of the Illinois Consumer Choice Law in 1997, when Illinois passed legislation making it a level playing field for various utilities to get a piece of the pie.

“They were looking for lawyers who understood competition law. Here, they were redesigning this massive industry and I thought what great opportunity to jump in and be on the ground floor of that. I had spent 10 years dealing with how business behaves and how markets should be designed and how you ensure the consumer value is delivered. I was really excited to come into ComEd,” Pramaggiore said.

Mentored by then CEO Frank Clark Jr. and John Rowe, chief executive at Exelon Corp., Pramaggiore moved throughout the company learning everything from deregulation laws and policy, to operations.

But, what sets the 116-year-old company apart from the rest is its belief in company diversification and community investment.

“I was the COO for three years. I do not have an engineering background. He put me in that role. To get me exposure on how the system runs, how our engineers think, what the design of the system is — what its needs are and how you run that part of the organization.”

Understanding the importance of how each department functions and the people who are on the ground touching consumers directly was more than cutting a lightbulb switch on in the room. She believed ”powering lives” had to connect in people’s everyday habits and investing in their development.

ComEd CEO, Anne Pramaggiore

“The story that gets told is about the technological change, but the real underlining story is about social change that is brought about by the technological change. We feel as an infrastructure company, we can be central to social and community change,” Pramaggiore said.

“Bronzeville is a great example of that. We went in and we put some electrical infrastructure there — a microgrid, as well as some clean energy.”

She says with receiving a grant by the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) for $1.2 million, their partnership with ITT and other technology companies — they continue to experiment and learn. The company has a living laboratory for kids to learn more about clean energy.

From working with organizations such as the Chicago Urban League, ASPIRE and others has led to CONSTRUCT. The 11-week program helps participants develop the core competencies required for entry-level positions in the industry, and identify businesses that can provide employment and opportunities to neighborhoods that the utility company serves.

“How can we attract businesses when we passed the Smart Grid bill in 2011? Part of the goal was we did all of this work — we modernize the grid — how are we going to smarten it up? What can we do to attract jobs and business? So, GE brought in an assembly operation for their smart meters and quite a few jobs associated with that.” She said in addition, ComEd has the largest smart thermostat program in the country.

Investing in Youth

The company has invested its resources with youth programs promoting STEM, including Icebox Derby, an educational program geared toward girls learning about solar energy through building solar-powered cars out of refrigerators. For Black History and Hispanic Heritage Month, the Solar Spotlight program teaches students how to build solar panels led by ComEd’s volunteers.

“I think what happens so much with STEM, getting into math and science, students sit in a classroom and dealing with it conceptually, but you don’t get to apply it. So, it doesn’t get exciting for kids and they do get fearful of it.”

Currently, the company is working with Springfield on pending legislation.

Pictured: Soul Children of Chicago, Center: Anne Pramaggiore

Pramaggiore says, “The trajectory of the clean economy, technology is going to allow us to have a much cleaner energy system. A much more technical, digital world with less impact on the environment and their tremendous opportunity especially in Chicago. We have some great foundations with some of the entrepreneurial organizations we’ve developed here.”

As a CEO in a very male-dominated industry, Pramaggoire is admired and respected by many of her peers as she continues to recognize great talent at ComEd.

“I mentor people whether they are women or anybody I can — particularly when I see people who ‘got it’. They are enthusiastic and optimistic and mission-driven. Ultimately, what leadership is about is getting what people are about.”

She says this is how she was guided throughout her time at ComEd.

“Your influence skills, your relationship skills, do people like to work with you? Do you have a way to bring people together to help teams move forward and solve problems? Those are the skills and these are the talents that can be accessible to anybody. It’s just understanding what they are and that you need them.”

With so much going on at the helm of one of the major corporations in North America, she feels it’s important to get a chance to focus on your well-being. An avid horse rider, Pramaggoire enjoys the freedom and focus of what riding personifies and admits it’s her time to unwind with friends who are deep-rooted in the sport.

“The job is a big job and it takes a lot of time and focus.They are girlfriends that have no connections to what I do in my job everyday so I appreciate getting out with them and talking about a new horse or shows. That’s what’s great about it, it takes you completely out of other issues.”

]]>http://atlantadailyworld.com/2016/11/16/anne-pramaggiore-comeds-ceo-amplifies-diversity-and-change/feed/0brittalee8729090254085_0376d0c05e_kComEd CEO, Anne Parmiggoreanne-mike-soul-childrens-choir4-star hotel coming to Hartsfield-Jackson. more to followhttp://atlantadailyworld.com/2016/11/16/4-star-hotel-coming-to-hartsfield-jackson-more-to-follow/
http://atlantadailyworld.com/2016/11/16/4-star-hotel-coming-to-hartsfield-jackson-more-to-follow/#respondWed, 16 Nov 2016 14:05:38 +0000http://atlantadailyworld.com/?p=140473]]>On Tuesday, Nov. 15, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed joined officials from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport , Majestic Realty Co., and Carter to announce the approval of a ground lease to build a master-planned development at ATL. Phase I of the development will consist of an 11-story, 440-room, four-star hotel with 80,000 feet of conference/meeting space and an additional 60,000 square feet of Class A office space. The design stage is expected to begin in 2017 with construction slated to commence by early 2018.

“Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s busiest passenger airport, and one of the region’s most important economic generators,” said Mayor Reed. “With this partnership, Hartsfield-Jackson will soon have a world-class hotel worthy of the world’s leading airport. We are making investments today to secure the future of the airport and create long-term economic and business growth.”

Visitors to the iconic new hotel will have access to 750 parking spaces, MARTA and direct access to the SkyTrain, which travels from ATL to the nearby Rental Car Center and Georgia International Convention Center. A restaurant is planned in the main lobby and a skybar that overlooks a runway will be constructed on the hotel’s tenth floor.

Majestic Realty Co. and Carter are currently in discussions with InterContinental Hotels Group to serve as the hotel operator for the four-star facility. The hotel will be built directly west of the domestic terminal on what is now the 10-acre west economy lot and will have direct access to the domestic terminal via a new plaza.

Stan Conway, executive vice president of Majestic Realty, also announced today plans for construction of two additional hotels as part of Phase II development. Phase II land consists of 13 acres just west of the Phase I site. Total cost of development of both phases is estimated at more than $350 million.

In December 2015, the City of Atlanta announced a joint venture between Majestic Realty Co. and Carter after a year-long procurement process. The 50-year ground lease of 26.5 acres located west and southwest of the Airport’s Domestic Terminal was approved unanimously by the Atlanta City Council last month. The project is part of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s ATLNext initiative, a $6 billion expansion and upgrade plan, which will be part of a large number of projects over many years.

]]>http://atlantadailyworld.com/2016/11/16/4-star-hotel-coming-to-hartsfield-jackson-more-to-follow/feed/0airport-hotelredward298airport-hotelAtlanta small business owners’ plans to hire and expand among highest in nationhttp://atlantadailyworld.com/2016/11/15/atlanta-small-business-owners-plans-to-hire-and-expand-among-highest-in-nation/
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Local Entrepreneurs Turn to Family, Friends and Community as They Grow Their Businesses

Atlanta small business owners’ expectations for future growth are higher than those of their peers nationwide, according to the fall 2016 Bank of America Small Business Owner Report. Seventy-one percent of local small business owners expect their revenue to increase over the next 12 months, compared to the national average of 52 percent and highest among the 10 major cities surveyed. Atlanta entrepreneurs are also 24 percentage points more likely to grow their business over the next five years than small business owners nationwide.

To support their growth plans, nearly half (46 percent) of Atlanta small business owners plan to hire more employees over the next 12 months, an increase of 14 percentage points in just six months and 21 percentage points higher than the national average.

The report, a semi-annual study exploring the concerns, aspirations and perspectives of small business owners in Atlanta and around the country, also found that Atlanta entrepreneurs are much more positive about the direction of the economy than their peers across the country:

“Perhaps encouraged by a more positive outlook on the economy, Atlanta entrepreneurs’ confidence is robust across all aspects of their business as many look to expand, hire new employees and expect higher revenue in the year ahead,” said Dean Bird, Atlanta small business banker manager at Bank of America. “Overall, Atlanta-area small business owners remain focused on growing their businesses and are optimistic for what the future holds.”

Top economic factors concerning Atlanta business owners

Despite optimism in the economy and business growth, Atlanta small business owners are concerned about the impact of many economic factors. The cost of health care is the most prominent concern, with 74 percent of local entrepreneurs worried it will impact their business during the next year. Other top concerns include:

· Strength of the U.S. dollar (66 percent vs. 52 percent nationwide)

· Consumer spending (61 percent vs. 51 percent nationwide)

Atlanta entrepreneurs rely on a mix of funding sources

When starting their businesses, the majority (72 percent) of Atlanta business owners used their personal savings, while 34 percent used personal credit cards. Compared to their national counterparts, local entrepreneurs were more likely to seek funding from banks (32 percent vs. 25 percent nationwide) and from friends and/or family (31 percent vs. 21 percent) when first starting their businesses. Even when their businesses are up and running, Atlanta-based business owners are more likely to rely on friends or family (17 percent vs. 7 percent nationwide) for financial support. The top two funding sources for established businesses are personal credit cards (43 percent) and banks (38 percent).

Two-thirds (64 percent) of Atlanta entrepreneurs have borrowed from a family member or friend, and of these, 85 percent don’t regret asking them to invest in their business. Instead, they feel grateful and appreciative (67 percent) and more motivated to succeed (51 percent), however, 19 percent of Atlanta business owners do say they feel anxious or pressure to pay it back.

Family, friends and community support Atlanta entrepreneurs

Nearly half (45 percent) of Atlanta small business owners say their family and friends help the most when it comes to running their business, compared to 35 percent nationally. Family provides support to small business owners in a number of ways, including emotional support (62 percent) and helping with the operation of their business (34 percent).

When it comes to the support of their local community, 69 percent of Atlanta entrepreneurs say it plays an important role in the success of their business – 22 percentage points higher than the national average and higher than any other city surveyed. Local small business owners say they rely on the Atlanta community for:

· Patronizing their business (39 percent)

· Giving online reviews and referrals (32 percent)

· Promotion and marketing of their small business (24 percent)

To show their gratitude, nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of Atlanta-based entrepreneurs support charitable or non-profit organizations in their local community.

Tis the season – year-end targets, seasonal sales and holiday perks

As 2016 comes to an end, the majority (77 percent) of Atlanta small business owners expect to hit their year-end revenue targets, 9 percentage points higher than the national average. Their year-end optimism is also reflected in holiday revenue expectations – 51 percent of local business owners expect to generate more revenue this holiday season, twice that of the national average (24 percent).

Many (78 percent) local entrepreneurs plan to offer their employees holiday perks, including:

· Closing the office during the holidays (44 percent)

· Giving employee gifts (35 percent)

· Awarding a salary bonus (27 percent)

Some local business owners say providing these employee perks comes at a personal sacrifice, with 25 percent expecting to work longer hours and 15 percent expecting to use a personal credit card to afford it.

GfK Public Affairs and Corporate Communications conducted the Bank of America Small Business Owner Report survey for fall of 2016 online between August 7 and October 4, 2016 using pre-recruited online sample of small business owners. GfK contacted a national sample of 1,000 small business owners in the United States with annual revenue between $100,000 and $4,999,999 and employing between 2 and 99 employees. In addition, small business owners were surveyed in 10 target markets: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. A total of 300 small business owners were surveyed in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., and 100 small business owners were surveyed in Houston. The final results were weighted to national benchmark standards for size, revenue and region.